Merchant robbed of loose gems worth $200,000

That's the worth of diamonds, rubies and emeralds that the owner of a business on Sinclair Road told police officers was stolen from him July 29.

The 60-year-old resident of East Gate Street in German Village, Mieczyslaw A. Bednarczyk, reported that he was robbed by more than one individual of $200,000 worth of loose gems, according to the Columbus police report.

This took place, he stated, in the 5000 block of Sinclair Road at 3:40 p.m. July 29.

"That's what the victim claims the value is," Denise Alex-Bouzounis, a spokeswoman for the Division of Police, said last week.

She added that three suspects, all white men, were involved.

The detective assigned to the case had not yet made an arrest as of last week, Alex-Bouzounis said.

The detective's report states that evidence of a "cellular nature" -- referring to human cells, not a telecommunications device -- was recovered at the scene of the crime, she said.

That evidence is being analyzed.

"There was a physical altercation," Alex-Bouzounis added.

The scene of the heist was a suite in a building where Bednarczyk has his business, Gold Craft Co. Diamonds.

Reached by telephone last week, Bednarczyk said he has been in business for 18 years and this is the first time he's been robbed.

He declined for the time being to offer any details of the incident.

"This is something I cannot talk about because the detective told me not to relay the information of what I have or what I know," Bednarczyk said.

"Right now, I cannot talk in detail about what happened or how this happened."

Alex-Bouzounis said Bednarczyk had made arrangements to show the precious stones to one of the robbers.

"They had multiple conversations face-to-face and on the phone," she said. "Basically, it was a plan with multiple suspects."